China Aircraft Carrier Nears LaunchJune 10, 2011

 

Senior Chinese generals confirmed that the country is close to launching its first aircraft carrier, according to an article in The Guardian. The generals described the carrier as a “symbol of a great nation.”

While China has launched its own domestic aerospace industry to build commercial and defense jets, it did not build this carrier from the ground up. Instead, the “symbol” is a defunct Soviet-era carrier that China bought in 1998 from Ukraine through a Hong Kong company. The company said it wanted to build an offshore floating casino at the time, The Guardian noted.

The ship was taken to China’s Dalian naval shipyard and upgraded with combat sensors and defensive weapons, and painted in the colors of the People’s Liberation Army.

China is rushing to bring its military power in line with its economic might, and naval capabilities remain its weakest link.

"All of the great nations in the world own aircraft carriers – they are symbols of a great nation," said Qi Jianguo, a senior military official. "It would have been better for us if we acted sooner in understanding the oceans and mapping out our blue-water capabilities earlier."

Qi said that the carrier would sail only through China’s territorial waters. He added that the country faces “heavy pressure” in the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Straits. China has yet to announce the name of the vessel but there’s speculation that it will be called Shi Lang — after a Qing dynasty admiral who conquered Taiwan, according to The Guardian.

What isn’t clear is whether the carrier is just a symbol or a vessel actually capable of projecting China’s naval ambitions. The Dalian naval yard and its surrounding area have been off-limits to foreigners.  Admiral Robert Willard, the commander of U.S. Pacific forces, recently told the Senate that he was not worried about the carrier’s military impact but added that it would shift public opinion on China’s abilities in the region, the article noted.

The U.S. Defense Department knows not to underestimate how quickly China can develop weapons systems, pointing to the test flight of a J-20 stealth fighter earlier this year.